Ex-Nissan digital heads launch own agency Brave & Heart

Two former heads of digital for Nissan, David Parkinson and Rich Rust, have left the car-maker to open their own agency, Brave & Heart.

(L-R) David Parkinson, Rich Rust

Founded on a principle of being the antidote to juggernaut consultancies, Brave & Heart will initially open with offices in London and Dubai, working with flexible teams and specialist global implementation partners, supporting clients across key areas of digital including strategy, transformation and experiential.

Parkinson said in a statement: “We see a clear need for a new model – one that harnesses real-world expertise and is able to provide rapid, flexible support to brands and their partners to deliver disruptive digital. Amateur hour is over. Our clients need bravery and passion.”

Using its proprietary methodology, Brave & Heart will support clients at all stages of their digital journey, from capability benchmarking and strategy development to driving transformative change through innovation labs and rapid prototyping.

Rust adds: “Offering agile, remote teams and engaging specialist expertise where and when needed, is something that is critical to our approach. We provide expert digital firepower to our clients without the burden of expensive consultancy overheads and the associated bureaucracy.”

Brave & Heart launches with aviation, aerospace and automotive brand clients and is working with several global agencies.

The agency’s UAE office will be based out of AstroLabs, a tech-hub partnered with Google for entrepreneurs and IBM in Dubai.